What paraphernalias a nurse must always have?

Nurses General Nursing

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What paraphernalias do you usually bring and use in the ward? The things you should not forget. :nurse:

Specializes in stepdown RN.

2 pens, penlight, alcohol swabs, scissors, misc. papers, mints, lip gloss (who could live without lip gloss :)) I clip my hemostats to the bottom of my scrub top and hang 2 types of tape on them. Also, hand sanitizer hanging on my badge. If I'm wearing a jacket I throw in some hand lotion.

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Specializes in RN CRRN.

For some of my trauma patients, I always have in my locker or my float bag (bag with all the things I may need when I float and can't find on another unit like a manual BP cuff, tape, scissors, etc, tape measurer) a wire cutter for patients that may have had their mouths wired shut. Yes they are supposed to have one in their rooms at all times, but you just never know. I mean when one is about to vomit and her mouth is wired shut....it is a tense few moments and you want to know where one is at all times if needed. I also have child sunglasses with light pink lenses. They cover my eyes if need be better than an adults and if for some reason you can't locate eye shields they may work in a pinch if you are sitting with a patient who doesn't know the meaning of coughing into something besides your face-and you are partial to taking home MRSA or VRE in your eyeballs....just saying...

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Specializes in cardiology/oncology/MICU.
For some of my trauma patients, I always have in my locker or my float bag (bag with all the things I may need when I float and can't find on another unit like a manual BP cuff, tape, scissors, etc, tape measurer) a wire cutter for patients that may have had their mouths wired shut. Yes they are supposed to have one in their rooms at all times, but you just never know. I mean when one is about to vomit and her mouth is wired shut....it is a tense few moments and you want to know where one is at all times if needed. I also have child sunglasses with light pink lenses. They cover my eyes if need be better than an adults and if for some reason you can't locate eye shields they may work in a pinch if you are sitting with a patient who doesn't know the meaning of coughing into something besides your face-and you are partial to taking home MRSA or VRE in your eyeballs....just saying...

Food for thought, I do not want VRE in my eyes either!:eek:

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Specializes in RN CRRN.

Also keep a small bottle of Lysol in my bag. You know the nights when you can't get home soon enough? You don't even want to sit in your car for fear of what is crawling on you (again re those who can only cough on you and not tissue, their hand or sleeve?). I spray the heck out of my scrubs. It Can Be Used On Soft Surfaces Now! I say my scrubs are a soft surface! My coworkers use it too. I just picked up a huge can of Vanilla Blossom Lysol and will have to stash it at work! I also stock up on the travel size to put in my float bag---again for whenyou have to sit 8 hours in an isolation room. Sometimes I want to spray myself off before I go eat my dinner! Gowns and other ppe are great-but so is my LYSOL!!!

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Specializes in cardiology/oncology/MICU.
Also keep a small bottle of Lysol in my bag. You know the nights when you can't get home soon enough? You don't even want to sit in your car for fear of what is crawling on you (again re those who can only cough on you and not tissue, their hand or sleeve?). I spray the heck out of my scrubs. It Can Be Used On Soft Surfaces Now! I say my scrubs are a soft surface! My coworkers use it too. I just picked up a huge can of Vanilla Blossom Lysol and will have to stash it at work! I also stock up on the travel size to put in my float bag---again for whenyou have to sit 8 hours in an isolation room. Sometimes I want to spray myself off before I go eat my dinner! Gowns and other ppe are great-but so is my LYSOL!!!

LMAO! Have you ever watched the show "Mo:clown:nk"?

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Specializes in RN CRRN.

I LOVE Monk! haha...wipe!

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Specializes in cardiology/oncology/MICU.
I LOVE Monk! haha...wipe!

It is very amusing to picture you girls sprayin each other with lysol!

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Specializes in RN CRRN.

We need breathing treatments afterwards! Just kidding...

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Specializes in cardiology/oncology/MICU.

I need a breathing tx after the BM I just cleaned up!

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Specializes in LTC.

Bandage scissors, hemostat, tape measure (I don't lay it on anyone but it helps to get a general idea of size when measuring something new & you can't run and get a disposable one), red pen, highlighter, black pen, blue pen (I write down day shift report in blue which helps keep me organized), laminated mini mind map-EKG leads-picture of forearm veins, meal card, Cardiology II steth, penlight, IV caps, tape on the steth, alcohol wipes. LOL!! But everyone knows I've got whatever they need right in my pockets and borrow my stuff--everything is purple handled so I get it back.

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Stethoscope around my neck.

In my pocket....Alcohol swabs, Scissors and a pen.

Sometimes if i'm really ambitious i'll carry around the IV caps (like when you unhook an IV and you need to cap off the end of the line incase if it needing to be reused.) for some reason i can never find those things, so i try to stock up with a couple a head of time.

I find myself coming home with a stock supply of alcohol swabs. I always take more than what is needed. My fiance enjoys it...."MORE ALCOHOL SWABS???"

I have made a habit of emptying my pockets before leaving at the end of my shift. In addition to not taking home alcohol wipes, I have found partial doses of meds that need to be wasted.

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